Douluo Dalu II: The Peerless Tang Sect

Chapter 306 The Scythe of the Dead and the Ancient Tree of Death!

"Something that allows soul beasts and soul masters to coexist and help each other!" Zhu Ziyang said with a faint smile. "I can tell you definitively that if you become my soul spirit, you can follow me to the God Realm and become an immortal god!"

"Really?" The Demon Emperor was still somewhat skeptical. After all, the existence of soul spirits made even a high-level soul beast like her feel uneasy!

"Whether it's true or false, I believe you can judge for yourself," Zhu Ziyang said. "I have no reason to lie to you. After all, your life is already in my hands. If I wanted your soul ring and soul bone, I wouldn't need to go to such lengths to deceive you. Wouldn't it be faster and easier to just kill you?"

"That's true!" Upon hearing Zhu Ziyang's words, the Demon Emperor immediately revealed a bitter smile.

"I'll give you time to think it over. After I retrieve the Scythe of the Dead, I hope you'll make the right choice." Zhu Ziyang wasn't in a hurry. The Demon Emperor was already at his mercy; how he was dealt with was entirely up to him. However, he believed the Demon Emperor would make the right choice. After all, no living being could resist the temptation of becoming a god!

Zhu Ziyang walked out of the Heavenly Stems Locking God Array, but left Xue Di inside. He preferred a living, breathing spirit to a soulless being.

Upon seeing Zhu Ziyang emerge, Zhang Lexuan and the two powerful warriors immediately surrounded him. Zhang Lexuan anxiously searched Zhu Ziyang's body, and only after confirming that he was unharmed did she breathe a heavy sigh of relief and ask, "Ziyang, how are you? Where is that Demon Emperor?"

"It went very smoothly!" Zhu Ziyang laughed. "The Demon Emperor is currently trapped in the Heavenly Stem Locking God Formation. As long as the formation remains intact, she won't be able to cause any trouble, so we don't need to worry about her. Now, Zhang Weiwei and Bemstard, you two stay here and guard the area. Le Xuan and I will head to the Demon Emperor Valley at the bottom of the valley to find the Scythe of the Dead."

"Yes, ma'am!" Zhang Weiwei and Bemstein replied immediately.

"Sister Lexuan, let's go!" Zhu Ziyang said, then led Zhang Lexuan and jumped into the Demon Emperor Valley.

Within Demon Emperor Valley, apart from the Demon Emperor Palace standing majestically in the center, there was nothing else—not even a single pebble. Zhu Ziyang and his companion had a very clear objective, so they proceeded without hesitation to the magnificent Demon Emperor Palace. The Demon Emperor Palace was incredibly luxurious and grand, surpassing even the Star Luo Empire's imperial palace that Zhu Ziyang had seen.

"Is this the Demon Emperor's Palace? The aura of death is so strong!" Zhang Lexuan exclaimed as the two stood in front of the Demon Emperor's Palace gate. "However, although this aura of death is unsettling, it doesn't have any eerie or terrifying qualities. How strange."

"Hehe, this is the purest death energy, emanating from the Scythe of the Dead. Naturally, it cannot be compared to the death power wielded by those evil soul masters!" Zhu Ziyang felt very comfortable. This pure death energy seemed to be cheering for his arrival, surging into his body all at once. He could feel his Scythe of Peace and Destiny cheering.

"Oh, okay!" Zhang Lexuan nodded, then her gaze fell on the gate of the Demon Emperor's Palace, and she said, "Shall we go in?"

"Hmm!" Zhu Ziyang nodded, and the Jing Shi Xiu Ming Scythe appeared in his hand. Then, the power of death swirled around the scythe blade, and the blade gently landed on the gate of the Demon Emperor's Palace. In just a moment, the gate of the Demon Emperor's Palace slowly opened.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Ziyang smiled and then led Zhang Lexuan into the Demon Emperor's Palace.

The furnishings in the Demon Emperor's Palace were very simple. In the empty hall, there was only a high platform in the center with nine steps. On the platform was a scythe stuck diagonally. The scythe was gray all over, and its material was unknown. The blade and the handle were the same length. Where the two connected, there was a gorgeous white spider lily, which was so eye-catching in the dark gray.

The gray sickle was so simple and unadorned that it didn't look like a magical artifact at all. Instead, it looked like a farming tool used for harvesting grain. At least, Zhang Lexuan couldn't see anything special about the sickle.

But Zhu Ziyang was different. The moment he saw the sickle, his heart skipped a beat, and the spider lily mark between his eyebrows flashed uncontrollably, as if cheering and celebrating.

The Scythe of the Dead, the weapon of death, a true divine artifact!

"Ziyang, go ahead, I'll protect you!" Zhang Lexuan said, looking at Zhu Ziyang's reaction.

"Okay!" Zhu Ziyang nodded, then took three steps at a time to climb up the platform and came to the Scythe of the Dead. Without hesitation, he immediately reached out and grasped the handle of the Scythe of the Dead.

The moment Zhu Ziyang grasped the Scythe of the Dead, the entire Demon Emperor's Palace shook, and then the deathly aura that filled the Demon Emperor's Valley vanished without warning.

The spider lily between his brows was flashing uncontrollably, so bright that Zhu Ziyang could barely open his eyes. But he still endured the shimmering light, pulled out the Scythe of the Dead, and raised it above his head in a victorious pose.

The moment Zhu Ziyang pulled out the Scythe of the Dead, a gray death power began to flow throughout it, surging into Zhu Ziyang's body like a swarm of bees. Zhu Ziyang's body was occupied by this dense death power with a special divine aura, and the Scythe of Peace and Destiny uncontrollably appeared in his other hand.

A burst of white light suddenly erupted, and Zhu Ziyang subconsciously closed his eyes. When he opened them again, everything had calmed down. The Scythe of the Dead had disappeared, and the aura of death had vanished, as if they had never existed. Only the Scythe of Peace and Destiny in Zhu Ziyang's hand seemed to have undergone a change that Zhu Ziyang could not explain.

"What happened?" Zhang Lexuan looked at Zhu Ziyang blankly. The white light was too sudden. She could only barely avoid the dazzling light, but she missed the most crucial thing.

"It's nothing." Zhu Ziyang looked at his Jing Shi Xiu Ming Scythe, seemed to have thought of something, smiled, put away his martial spirit, jumped off the platform, and said, "It's all over, Sister Le Xuan, quickly check if you've completed your sixth Red-level test."

"That's it?" Zhang Lexuan was a little bewildered. They had been sailing from Douluo Continent for half a year, and it was over in less than three minutes. The difference in dimensions was too great! She needed to calm down!

"Otherwise what?" Zhu Ziyang chuckled and squeezed Zhang Lexuan's hand, saying, "Doesn't it feel a little unreal? It's okay, it'll be fine in a bit!"

With that, Zhu Ziyang opened the spatial gate and brought Jiang Nannan and Qian Lingyi out.

"Brother, how are you? Are you alright?" As soon as Jiang Nannan came out, she rushed to Zhu Ziyang and asked with concern in her eyes.

"Haha, I'm not hurt. Go check if you've finished your divine test!" Zhu Ziyang said with a smile, pinching Jiang Nannan's cheek.

"Huh? You've completed your Seven Trials of Death? So fast?" Jiang Nannan was also very surprised, but since she hadn't experienced Zhu Ziyang's process of subduing the Scythe of the Dead, the sense of disappointment she felt wasn't as great as Zhang Lexuan's. She immediately accepted Zhu Ziyang's words and said, "Great! Let me see how my Six Trials of Taiyin went!"

"Is this the Demon Emperor's Palace?" Qian Lingyi asked, looking around at their surroundings with great curiosity, observing the ancient and solid walls.

"That's right, this is the Demon Emperor's Palace!" Zhu Ziyang said. "Yiyi, I'm leaving this place to you. I'm going to collect the rewards for the Seven Trials of Death and the contents of the Eighth Trial of Death. If Nannan and Sister Lexuan are finished, then you two wait for me here."

"Mmm!" Qian Lingyi nodded obediently in response.

After receiving Qian Lingyi's answer, Zhu Ziyang did not hesitate. He immediately recited the mantra in his mind, and with a flash of light, he disappeared from the Demon Emperor's Palace and appeared at the place of divine inheritance, landing on the seventieth step of the path to godhood.

"Congratulations, you have successfully gained the approval of the Reaper of the Dead!" Xiao Bai's voice immediately entered his ears, and for some reason, Zhu Ziyang could hear a hint of joy in Xiao Bai's voice.

"Looks like you're quite pleased!" Zhu Ziyang chuckled and said, "Can you tell me why the Scythe of the Dead merged into my Martial Soul?"

"Do you know what the Reaper's Scythe is made of?" Xiaobai asked.

"What is it?" Zhu Ziyang was taken aback, and naturally followed up on Xiaobai's change of topic by asking.

"The Scythe of the Dead is made from the trunk of the Ancient Tree of Death," Xiaobai said, his voice filled with melancholy. "And the Ancient Tree of Death is the very embodiment of the God of Death!"

"Ah!" Zhu Ziyang instantly understood that Xiaobai wasn't changing the subject, but rather answering his question.

"The Scythe of the Dead, in a sense, is a symbol of the Law of Death. Only when it merges with your Martial Soul, granting it the qualification to bear the Law, will you be able to inherit the divine position more easily," Xiao Bai said. "Now that the First God of Death has fallen, it's time for the symbol of the Law of Death to change from the Ancient Tree of Death to something else!"

"I understand!" Zhu Ziyang replied, his face filled with deep gratitude.

(End of this chapter)